MnDOT

Water traffic was brought to a halt after the Stillwater Lift Bridge got stuck in the down position Friday morning. The Minnesota Department of Transportation said that the lift bridge was stuck because of a tree jam.

Many Minnesotans will likely be heading to the cabin or lake this weekend. And as they drive, the speed limit will be 55 mph in some areas, 65 mph and maybe even 70 in others. Kevin Gutknecht is the communications director for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation reports that Interstate 94 westbound near Monticello is down to a single lane due to a pavement failure. The stretch should be down to a single lane for about an hour, MnDOT said.

Last month, the I-35W bridge was bathed in royal blue to symbolize the fight against colon cancer. “It was unbelievable, absolutely stunning. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Anne Carlson, the executive director of the Colon Cancer Coalition.

A snowstorm of record-breaking proportions is predicted to mess up the Friday morning commute in the Twin Cities. Forecasters say a mix of precipitation is expected to turn over to heavy snow after midnight Thursday and leave as much as a foot of snow in the Twin Cities by midmorning.

Just a few hours of light snow Friday was enough to set off a chain reaction pile-up on Interstate 35 south of the Twin Cities. The accident occurred on the northbound lanes of I-35 at County Road 50 near Lakeville, Minn.

On the day before the 2014 Minnesota Legislative session starts, the cold weather is still a hot topic. Like many Minnesotans, some lawmakers are wondering why the road conditions are still so difficult.

The roads shouldn’t be as miserable around the Twin Cities as they were during Friday’s awful commute, but Monday may still bring with it a number of headaches. The good news is that most road conditions are better, but there are still some problem areas.

Several viewers have been asking why the roads hit by the snow storm in Wisconsin seemed to be in better condition than those in Minnesota. “As soon as we hit the bridge, it was wet,” Kristine Glenna said about her drive from Woodbury to Hudson. “We keep being told that it’s too cold for chemicals to work, and it’s going to be like this for several days, but obviously something’s working in Wisconsin.”

From side streets to major highways, it was slow going throughout the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota no matter where you were headed on Friday. Many drivers struggled even getting onto the roads as they had to dig their cars out of the snow that fell overnight.

Interstate 35 has reopened after being closed after several semis jackknifed and multiple vehicles crashed Thursday afternoon. According to MnDOT, the crashes occurred on I-35 south of Highway 30 near Ellendale, Minn. Travel conditions are still poor in the area due to icy roads, reduced visibility and drifting.

A driver was taken into custody after striking a worker with the Minnesota Department of Transportation on Interstate 94 Sunday evening. The crash happened near 42nd Avenue South in Minneapolis, the State Patrol said. The worker was clearing debris from the road when he or she was struck.

Scott from Plymouth wanted to know: Why do we like to stretch after a good night’s sleep? According to Dr. Paul Mellick, a physiologist at the University of St. Thomas, we stretch because it feels good, but scientists aren’t exactly sure why.

MnDOT has canceled weekend construction on eastbound Interstate 494 in Bloomington and Richfield due to predicted bad weather. Officials say the closure, between I-35W and Cedar Avenue, has been rescheduled for Oct. 25. Crews will resurface the roadway as part of the I-494 improvement project.

Thanks to everyone who sent in Good Question suggestions this week! Please keep them coming! In the meantime, I wanted to answer a few that didn’t make air. Rosy has a question I’ve never thought about before: Why do people put an “s” on the end of email, as in emails? We don’t say we are going to pick up our snail mails from the post office. Good point, Rosy. I looked up the definition of email in the dictionary and found three definitions – two for nouns and one for a verb.

If you’re heading out Saturday morning, start planning your detour. Some big freeway closures will likely cause backups and headaches. In the New Brighton/Shoreview area, eastbound Interstate 694 between I-35W and Lexington Avenue is closed. And in Bloomington, I-494 eastbound is closed between Highway 100 and 35W.

If you have travel plans for Labor Day weekend, be prepared for a little traffic. MnDOT Director of Communications Kevin Gutknecht says there won’t be any construction going on, but the road work areas will still mean road closures and slower speed limits. “There are a number of work zones that folks may encounter during their holiday weekend travel,” Gutknecht said. “Work zones can still be dangerous places, so folks should slow down, take their time and proceed cautiously.”

Minnesota transportation officials are distributing remnants of the Interstate 35W bridge that collapsed in 2007. MnDOT says the material is being distributed at its Oakdale facility from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday. Legislation passed this year specifies who’s eligible for the steel and MnDOT says it’s contacted most of those people and groups.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has closed the ramp from Highway 13 to northbound Interstate 35W after damage was discovered by crews who were painting the ramp bridge. MnDOT says the closure is a precautionary measure and will allow inspectors to assess damage and determine what repairs are needed.